Comité consultatif pour la lecture des prisonniers et internés de guerre : rapport sur son activité [1951]

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

1951

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Abstract

"This body, set up in April 1940, to provide prisoners and internees with educational books and religious and recreative reading, represents the important international relief organizations having t heir headquarters in Switzerland (see inside of cover page for information concerning these organizations). Thus it has been made possible to carry out negotiations with belligerent powers for facilities necessary to further relief work, to exchange experiences, to avoid overlapping, whilst at the same time maintaining the essential independence of each of the organizations concerned. By this common effort the difficulties of censorship were overcome and it was possible to reduce the interval which intervened before the books collected from all over the world were finally made available to the individual prisoner. The Committee's work in the field of educational books, the book collection in France, the book drive in Switzerland and t he method of co-operation in all these fields set up here for the first time are also described. Without t his Consultative Committee the organizations would hardly have been able to develop t heir work and cope with the prisoners' hunger for reading, and bring about a healthier atmosphere with the aid of books and study facilities. Over 12 ½ million books and pamphlets were sent by the organization members of the Committee, together with 3 ½ million volumes specially edited by them to be distributed amongst prisoners. The experience gained during t his work has served to improve the facilities foreseen in t he Geneva Convention of 1949. A bibliography gives books in many languages which makes it possible to follow t he activities of t he various organizations in this field." [from the English Summary]

Description

Keywords

Library and information history, Library services to prisoners, Non-governmental organizations, Wars, Literacy and reading

Citation

Collections